Remote Feed: 72-Mile 802.11b Link

An anonymous reader writes "A 72-mile link was installed last month from San Diego to San Clemente Island, using standard 802.11b WLAN gear and high-gain, 2-foot parabolic antennas. More in this Computerworld article."

Can you say

[Anonymous Coward]

War surfing!!!

bahh

[Anonymous Coward]

Lovely. Now there is a path 72 miles long for people to exploit. Insecure networks, always fun...

2 foot antenna?

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this mean I have to wear a 2 foot antenna on my shoulder when I which to connect my laptop to the internet? This all sounds so incredible.

Free internet

[nocomment]

So now you can surf the internet from almost anywhere on their network!! *yay*

The first use...

[yunfat]

Watson: Did you get it?

Bell: Yes, send more porn.

With Error Correction?

[coupland]

"The test was declared a resounding success when the message '@#FGGgWEe#GR... +++ATZ +++ATH0 NO CARRIER' was successfully received by the San Celemente station. Congratulations to all involved!"

Re:physics

[IvyMike]

so how did they overcome the earth horizon limitations?

Poles.

What, no pics?

[JUSTONEMORELATTE]

Great read, but somehow I picture something like this [wwc.edu] mounted on a 40' mast.
--

What happens if...

[Cap'n Canuck]

The link to San Clemente Island -- used to carry data from a seismograph, data logger and Global Positioning System receiver....

During an earthquake, will that data registered by the seismograph still make it to the mainland?

More importantly; if it's a REALLY big one, will the GPS record San Clemente's new position?

Re:Yippie

[bobsalt]

a beowulf counter strike server!!

And one guy on a 2.4GHz phone...

[Insightfill]

can bring it down! Imagine, if you will, that there's a Quickie Mart in the middle of this stretch. Every time the microwave oven heats a "Pocket", the link is down.

How long...

[Gruneun]

before a Corona commercial shows the guy on the beach adjusting the dish and using it as a shade umbrella?

In further news

[Brigadier]

Then the LA afternoon smog rolled in cause 98% packet loss. Reports of low flying sea gulls being singed as they passed through the deadly rays have also been reported.

Long distances...

[mrjive]

They must have used a huge pringles can.

Re:2 foot antenna?

[Loki_1929]

You really want a 2 foot microwave antenna broadcasting right next to your head?

Re:physics

[jhines0042]

seismograph data ... and you are telling me that these dishes will _stay_ lined up?

Re:The first use...

[roalt]

Sorry Mr Bell,

this [scisland.org] is all I got...

Signed Watson

Don't laugh...

[thatguywhoiam]

Then the LA afternoon smog rolled in cause 98% packet loss. Reports of low flying sea gulls being singed as they passed through the deadly rays have also been reported.

.. this used to happen to me.

Not smog, specifically. A place I used to work at had a microwave connection on the roof, feeding from one of the taller skyscrapers downtown. On days when it snowed, or rained really hard, the net connection would flake out like crazy.

'Snow Days' took on a whole new meaning.

Tangent: a bigger problem was the various punks and squeegee kids 'playing' in the microwave field. They would jump back and forth in front of the dish for the little zap it gave you. We tried to warn them....

ZAP 'Owww! My sperm!' ZAP 'Funny, it didn't hurt the second time... '

In other news...

[r_j_prahad]

San Diego sporting goods stores are reporting record sales of 12 ga. shotguns to San Clemente SDSC personnel who were alleged to have made cryptic statements about "frame drops", "bandwidth", and "all these f*cking seagulls".

Re:The first use...

[Anonymous Coward]

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want you." --Alexander Graham Bell, March 10, 1876

Re:Can you say

[SEWilco]

War surfing for handhelds.
War sailing for the big stuff (don't block the signal with your sail...).
Make sure you take along your warchalking buoys.